Burial apparatus



Mar; 27, 1923,

H. H. LEAVIT BURIAL APPARATUS.

FILED SEPT;22.1922.

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S r 8 8 EL w W A TTORfr/E V8 Mar. 27, 1923.

H. H. LEAVITT.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

FILED SEPTA 22,1922.

I W, WWW/A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIVVE/VTOR 14 TTOR/VEVS it i HARVEY HAMILTON LEAVITT, OE WADESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

Application filed September 22, 1922. Serial Ho. 589,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, HARVEY HAMILTON LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wadesboro, in the county of Anson and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to a burial apparatus for use in lowering a casket or coffin into the grave, and the object of the invention is to provide a burial apparatus of this character by which the casket may be taken to and lowered in the grave in a dignified and solemn manner in keeping with the nature of the ceremony without the necessity ofthe pallbearers or undertakers approaching so close to the grave as to be liable to cause caving thereof and which also serves as a guard to prevent the mourners from approaching so close to the grave as to be liable to cause caving.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is adjustable so as to be capable of use with graves of different sizes or with graves to which diflerentapproaches must be made.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the invention in use;

Figure 2 is a view thereof in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a View in transverse section; a Figure 4 is a plan view, parts being broken away and shown in section for the sake of illustration; and

Figure 5 is a plan view, showing the apparatus arranged for use with a grave to which a different approach must be made than to the graves'shown in the preceding F i ures.

eferring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numerals 10 and 11 designate a pair of frame members of identical construction and adapted to be detachably connected with each other in either end to end or side to side relation as will presently appear. As the frame members are of identical construction in all substantial respects a common description will serve for both, Each frame member includes a pair of longitudinally extending side bars 12 and a pair of transversely extending end bars 13 rigidly connectedwith the side bars. The side bars and the end bars 13 are adjustable so that they may be lengthened or shortened as desired and for this purpose these side bars and end bars are preferably made up of telescoping sections, the telescoping sections of the side bars being indicated at 12 and 12 and the telescoping sections of the endbars' being designated at 13 and 13". Preferably the sections 12 and 12 and 13 and 13 comprise cylindrical tubes slidab'ly interfitted and frictionally engaged with each other so as not to be liable to displacement from the position to which they are adjusted. In lieu. of this frictional engagement set screws or other suitable means may be employed for holding these telescoping sections against displacement. The fastening means employed to rigidly connect the side bars to the end bars is designated at 14 and may comprise screws, rivets, nuts and the like. Irrespective of which type of fastening means is employed the portions thereof which lie on the upper and lower sides of the side bars are preferably countersunk so that these sides or portions of the side bars present smooth continuous surfaces contituting tracks in use as will hereinafter appear.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the frames 10 and 11 are arranged in end to end relation with the side bars of the frame 10 extending parallel to the side walls of the grave though spaced therefrom a substantial distance. Preferably the side bars are spaced from the grave a sufficient distance to permit of persons standing on the ground along the side bars without danger of causing caving of the grave. The end bars 13 of the frame 10 lie in spaced parallel relation with respect to the end walls of the grave. With this arrangement the frame 11 is arranged in end to end relation with respect to the frame 10 with one of the end bars 13 of this frame lying closely adjacent and parallel to carried by one of the frames preferably by the frame 10,these short rods being engaged by the fastening means 14 of the frame 10. The portions of the short rods 15 which project beyond the ends of the side bars 13 of the frame 10 are received in the adjacent open ends of the side bars of the frame 11 and in-the end to end assembly of the frames these short rods are engaged by set screws 16 carried by the sidebars 12 of the frame 11.

A carriage, designated generally at 20, is provided and includes a rectangular frame made up of side bars 21 and end bars 22 connected in assembly by corner posts 23. Each corner post 23 carries a flanged wheel or roller 24 which rests upon the side bars 12 of the" frames and rolls on these side bars. The side bars thus constituting for this purpose the rails of a track. The carriage 20 is equipped with a lowering device which may be of any conventional construction or design and embodies as usual straps 25 wound on reels mounted on the side bars 21 of the frame of the carriage and controlled from a crank 26 or other suitable controlling means. The particular lowering device employed forms no part of the present invention and any approved lowering device well known to those skilled .in the art may be utilized.

With this apparatus the carriage is first arranged on the frame 11 as shown in Figure 1 and the all-bearers o-r undertakers in approaching t e grave carry the coflin to and lay it upon the carriage. Thus it is not necessary for the pallbearers to approach so close to the grave as to be liable to cause cavin thereof. After the casket has been place on the carriage, the carriage may be gently rolled from the frame 11 onto the frame 10, the wheels 24 travelling along the continuous track provided by the side bars 12. When positioned on the frame 10, the casket lies immediately over the grave and the lowering device may be then actuated to lower the casket into the grave.

In Figure 5 the frames are shown in use with a grave to which a side ap roach must be made, it being understood t at in Figures 1 to 4 the approach of the grave'is what may be termed an end approach. In the arrangement shown in Figure 5, the frames 10 and 11 are arranged in side to side relation with the adjacent side bars 12 lying close to each other and in parallelism and with the end bars 13 in alinement and connected by a coupling arrangement similar to that existing between the side bars 12 in the arrangement illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. v Preferably this coupling arrangement consists as in the former instance in the provision of short rods 30 projecting from the ends of the end bars 13 of the frame 10 and received in the open ends of the end bars 13 of the frame 11, the short rods 30 being engaged by the fastening'devices 14 of the frame 10 and by set screws 31 carried by the frame 11. It is to be understood of course that with this arrangement, the end bars 13 constitute the relation of the track. In the arrangement shown in Figure 5 the side bars 12 of the frames engage the ground and the end bars 13 lie above the side bars, this being the reverse of the arrangement shown in Figures 14 wherein the end bars lie upon the ground and the side bars surmount the end bars. In this connection it is also to be understood that the frames which carry the wheels 24 of the carriage are rotatively mounted after the manner of castors so that they may be turned to engage with the end bars 13 in the arrangement shown in Figure 5, the carriage in this arrangement being moved sidewise from the frame 11 onto the frame 10.

lVith either arrangement the frame 10 constitutes also a guard for preventing the mourners from approaching too close to the grave.

I claim:

1. In a burial apparatus of described, a pair of adjustable frames adapted to be associated with each other in either side to side or end to end relation, the frameshaving side and end bars, the side bars of the frame presenting a continuous track when the frames are associated in end to end relation and the end bars of the frame presenting a continuous track when the frames are associated in side to side relation, in combination with a carriage having rotatable wheels adapted to be selectively engaged with either the side bars or the end bars accordingly as the frames are arranged in end to end or side to side relation.

2. In a burial apparatus of the character described, a pair of adjustable frames adapted to be associated with each other in either side to side or end to end relation, the frames having side and end bars, the side bars of the frame presenting a continuous track when the frames are associated in end to end relation and the end bars of the frame presenting a continuous track when the frames are associated in side to side relation.

3. In a burial apparatus of the character described, a pair of frames each having telescoping side and end bars whereby said frames may be adjusted laterally or longitudinally, said frames being adapted to be associated in either end to end or side to side relation, and means for releasably connecti'ng said frames in either end to end or side to side relation.

4. In a burial apparatus, a pair of frames, each of said frames having telescoping sideand end bars, one of. said frames being adapted to be arranged so as to enclose the grave, the other of said frames being adapted to be arranged in either end to end or side the character to side relation with the frame enclosing the side to side relation with the frame enclos- 11m grave, and means for coup-ling said frames ing the grave, and means for coupling said together. a frames together, certain of the bars of the 5. In a burial apparatus, a pair of frames, frame being adapted to constitute a track,

each of said frames having telescoping side in combination with a *carriage havlng and end bars, one of said frames being wheels engageable with and running on the 15 adapted to be arranged so as to enclose the track thus constituted. grave, the other of said frames being adapted to be arranged in either end to end or HARVEY HAMILTON LEAVITT. 

